University of Arizona’s Business Programs Get Financial Boost

University of Arizona Oct. 13, 2014

Three new gift commitments totaling $6 million from Arizona businesses and philanthropists – Shamrock Foods and Karl and Stevie Eller of Phoenix and the Diamond family of Tucson – were announced last week by the University of Arizona Eller College of Management at a celebration of Arizona NOW: The Campaign for the University of Arizona, hosted by Eller College and the UA Foundation National Leadership Council at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix.

“The Eller, McClelland, and Diamond families have long histories with the UA,” said James H. Moore, Jr., president and CEO of the UA Foundation. “These new commitments contribute to their respective legacies, which will benefit business students at the university for generations to come.”

The Shamrock Foods gift of $3.5 million establishes the McClelland Family Endowment for Faculty Excellence, which will help Eller College attract and retain outstanding teachers and researchers in the business disciplines.

The Eller gift of $1.5 million will name the Professional Development Center, a two-story addition to the business school that will house undergraduate career coaches, recruiter meeting space, and student collaboration space.

The Diamond gift of $1 million will support the Eller College’s overall campaign priorities.

Norman P. McClelland, chairman of Shamrock Foods, and his sister Frances (who passed away in 2005) are both alumni of the University of Arizona.

“Norm has been a force for growth and change at the University of Arizona for decades,” said Len Jessup, dean of the Eller College. “Over 20 years ago, the visionary leadership he and Frances brought made a new building possible for the Eller College. We are grateful for the family’s unwavering support, particularly of faculty, which are the cornerstone of every leading business school.”

Faculty reputation is a key factor considered by peer schools that vote in the annual U.S. News & World Report rankings. In September, Eller College was named No. 21 overall and No. 11 among public undergraduate business programs in the 2015 America’s Best Colleges issue.

Karl and Stevie Eller are alumni of the University of Arizona and some of the most influential figures in Arizona’s history, whose generosity and time has benefitted higher education, business, sports, the arts, and more.

“Karl is truly a visionary, not just as a leader in outdoor advertising and in his other entrepreneurial ventures,” Jessup said. “In the early 1980s, he came to the UA with the concept of establishing a place where students could learn how to be entrepreneurs. In 1984, our entrepreneurship program became one of the first named centers in the country.”

The center, now known as the McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship, is consistently ranked among the country’s best. Its flagship, year-long program was named No. 6 in the country and No. 2 among public programs by U.S. News & World Report.

“We are honored that the Eller College bears his name,” Jessup continued. “Entrepreneurship and innovation continue to be a hallmark of what we call the Eller experience, thanks in part to the extraordinary example he sets for our students.”

Donald and Joan Diamond are also alumni of the University of Arizona, and Donald is the chairman of Diamond Ventures, a leading real estate and private equity company in the region. The Diamond family are philanthropic leaders in the state, whose giving includes Diamond Children’s Medical Center, part of the University of Arizona Health Network.

“Don is a leader and entrepreneur whose insight has benefited the Eller College National Board of Advisors for many years,” Jessup said. “The Diamond Family Foundation and its leader, Helaine Levy, also supports faculty in finance at the Eller College, which helps us retain the very best teachers for our students.”

In addition to the McClelland, Eller, and Diamond gift announcements at the Musical Instrument Museum, Eller College also recognized 11 individuals who have made previously announced gifts in excess of $1 million each toward the college’s campaign goal of $65 million.

The overall goal of Arizona NOW: The Campaign for the University of Arizona is set at $1.5 billion.

The Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona is internationally recognized for pioneering research, innovative curriculum, distinguished faculty, excellence in entrepreneurship, and social responsibility. U.S. News & World Report ranks the Eller undergraduate program #11 among public business schools and two of its programs are among the top 20 — Entrepreneurship and MIS. U.S. News & World Report ranks the Eller MBA Full-Time program #48 in the U.S. In addition to a Full-Time MBA program, the Eller College offers an Evening MBA program and the Eller Executive MBA. The Eller College of Management supports more than 5,800 undergraduate and 750 graduate students on the UA campus in beautiful Tucson, Arizona, as well as a satellite campus at the Phoenix

Speak Your Mind

In Business Dailies

Sign up for a complimentary year of In Business Dailies with a bonus Digital Subscription of In Business Magazine delivered to your inbox each month!

  • Get the day’s Top Stories
  • Relevant In-depth Articles
  • Daily Offers
  • Coming Events